Riding the Currents: Pax Kyoshi
by LordRevanMandaloreofZutara
Summary: Part 1 - 302 BSC: A young girl is orphaned in a barbaric war and is adopted by a Fire Nation Colonel. She is an earthbender, but is loyal to the Fire Nation. What's more, she's the Avatar. Her name is Kyoshi, and this is the story of her life. Kyoshi/OC
1. Prologue

**It has been a while, but I am back now. Okay, here is the deal. Riding the Currents is a story broken into seven parts, with each being their own fic(****Pax Kyoshi, Roku's Folly, First Blood, War of the Nations, The Uneasy "Peace", The Great Patriotic War, Approaching Dawn)****. Each part will focus on a different period of Avatar History, leading up to 99/100 ASC. The first part, Pax Kyoshi, is about Kyoshi, and the peace she brings. Since the show barely gives any information about her, I decided that it was time for me to write a story about her. A brief warning, this will not be a sunshine/happiness story. There will be a great deal of death and carnage, but I feel that that is what suits Kyoshi. She is not soft like Aang, or misguided like Roku was. **

**After I am finished, or maybe sooner it depends on what my reviewers say, I will start on the sequel to Riding the Currents, which is a story on the 99/100 ASC war, though it will bear only slight resemblence to what the Show had. I have not thought of a name for it yet, so if you think of a good one let me know.**

**But enough rambling, read the story and tell me what you think. The reviews don't have to be big long things, just a few words or sentences, maybe a paragraph. We FF writers don't ask for much, and your words are the nutrients we need to keep writing. But enough begging. Here is the story, I hope you enjoy. **

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**"The Ethic Wars of Sankalb-Un are some of the most pivotal moments in the history of the world. This single group of conflict brought about so many changes to the world, starting us on a path that would eventually lead to the bloodbaths of The Great and Second Great Wars."**

**The Colonel to a class at Zealot Military Academy, 98 ASC **

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**Riding the Currents, Part 1: Pax Kyoshi**

**Prologue **

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**Outside Omashu, 103 ASC**

_Daughter, _

_This is a history, a story, of the past four hundred years. When you read this, I have no doubts that you will be enraged. You will be angry at me, at your mother, at everyone. Know right away that I am sorry, and that there are reasons for why I never told you about your mother. This is the only way that I can in good conscience answer your questions. It is indirect, but it is the only way. If I was to ever tell you about your mother, I would be dishonored, and would have to exile myself from your Aunt, and this city. _

_Perhaps you will think me a coward when you finish this book. Perhaps I am. But I want you to know what your mother and I went through during the War, what your ancestors went through, what we all sacrificed to attain peace. Your mother, in her own way, sacrificed as much, if not more, to obtain peace. The peace that we paid such a high price for was given to you freely. So please, read this fully, study it, and draw your own conclusions from my words, and the words that I have borrowed from others. Then come to me, and tell me if you think I was weak to do what I did. _

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Three hundred and twelve years before the advent of the Sozin Epoch, Avatar Kuruk died. Upon his death the independent state of Sankalb-Un, a country located on the southwestern peninsula of the main continental mass, became engulfed in the flames of war, ethic genocide, and hate. When future historians gazed back at Kuruk they could not help but sputter in rage at the thought of what he had allowed happen. While Sankalb-Un burned, the rest of the world began to smolder. Nationalistic movements as well as radical ideologies would trace their birth to the Ethic Wars of Sankalb-Un and the people who struggled for control of a tiny, out of the way country. From one war many would spring, echoing across the vast river of history.

Sankalb-Un was a tiny country bordered to the north by the Great Foggy Swamp, to the northwest by the Sankalb Mountain Chain, to the east by the city of Gaoling, and to the south by the great Tethys Ocean that separates the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. The country of Sankalb-Un had existed for some hundred years, having declared its independence from the Earth Kingdom during the inter-period years of freedom between the reign of Avatar Yangchen and Kuruk. This was in keeping with the custom of the world. The Avatars, by their very natures, are ultra-conservative and seek to preserve the status quo. Any changes made before their reign will be preserved, as long as the changes are neutral or good and not evil. Since the Avatars are so conservative the world has a period of twenty eight years (sixteen for the Avatar to be recognized and 12 for the Avatar to be trained in all four elements) to redraw the geopolitical map as they see fit. For the people of the Sankalb peninsular it was the perfect opportunity. The Earth King was purging his army, navy, and government. The countryside was frozen in fear and all attention was focused inward. The Earth King neither knew nor cared what three small provinces at the edge of his realm were up to. He was sure that members of his Council and military were plotting against him. His paranoia would cost the Earth Kingdom much blood in the coming centuries.

By the time Kuruk became a fully realized Avatar the state of Sankalb-Un had already received recognition from the Fire Nation, the island state of Kuba which lays to the south of the Fire Nation, the mining nation of Gyongyos which lays to the north and south of the Fire Nation and the Western Air Temple respectively, the United Principalities of Kuusamo a great land west of the Fire Nation, the Southern Air Temple, the Southern Water Tribe, and the Great Foggy Swamp. Only the Earth Kingdom, the Northern Water Tribe, the Northern Air Temple, the Eastern Air Temple, and the mass of islands collectively known as Siualia had failed to given recognition to the new state. Aside from the Earth Kingdom, the lack of recognition stymied more from complacency then any real reason. Kuruk, seeing this, forced the remaining nations to grant Sankalb recognition. The remaining nations protested, but gave in without much fight. After all what could they do to stop a man who had the power of the ancients Lords and Ladies running through him and was the spiritual successor of the Dragon Emperor, Ka Chein? The answer, they vowed silently to themselves, was nothing. For now…

And so the nation of Sankalb-Un was formed. One of its first acts was to throw open the door to those nations who had first recognized it, and invite them to make investments in the fledgling nation. The investments, the new government promised, would not be subjected to government oversight, as was the custom of the day. The Fire Nation, Kuusamo, and the other lesser nations took advantage of the offer, sending settlers to sparsely populated areas of Sankalb-Un. For a time the government's strategy of openness worked. While the Earth Kingdom grew stagnate under corrupt rulers and a people who had no initiative – courtesy of the paranoia and terror that the brutal king who allowed Sankalb-Un to form fostered among his people - the Sankalb-Un people flourished.

It was a great struggle, those first years, to resist the incursions and demands of the much larger Earth Kingdom, who chafed at the thought of its provinces leaving its tyrannical union. Yet the people of Sankalb-Un endured, trusting in the Avatar and, more heavily, on the allies they had managed to cultivate. Their endurance paid dividends a few decades later when the city of Gaoling, a great merchant city and home to the influential Bei Fong clan, requested admittance into the federal coalition of Sankalb-Un. The people, and government, were overjoyed to have this new addition, and welcomed Gaoling with open arms.

Yet all were not happy with this arraignment, especially the Earth Kingdom. Infuriated at the loss of more territory, the Earth King launched a quiet invasion of Sankalb-Un. While the invading force was able to push local Un militias out of their way, they were stopped in their tracks when the Army of Sankalb-Un confronted them. After this defeat, and with the Avatar placing sanctions on the Earth Kingdom, the Earth Kingdom Army was forced to retreat. That did not mean, however, that Sankalb-Un was safe from further retaliation. As the army retreated, it adopted a scorched earth policy. Everything along the invasion corridor, including the prosperous city of Gaoling, was sacked, burned, and destroyed until nothing of value was left, human, building, or farm animals.

The Sankalb-Un Army tried to stop the destruction, but their attacks were repeatedly blunted and turned away by the retreating soldiers who had received reinforcements from the Earth King. By the time the Earth Kingdom army had retreated back into its own territory, a stretch of land five miles wide, and twenty miles long was desolated. Almost all of the territory was in the Un state, with the rest being confined to the independent city of Gaoling. A fleet of warships from the Fire Nation and Kuusamo, arrived just in time to see the Earth Kingdom army retreat back into its home territory, and to deal with the clean up and restorations efforts.

Retribution from the allies of Sankalb-Un was swift and decisive. Blockades were imposed on Earth Kingdom ports, troops were quartered in its major cities. The Earth King was relieved of his command by the Avatar himself. Yet all of these measures were too little, too late. The country of Sankalb-Un had been traumatically scared by the brief incursion, especially the Un. The leaders of Sankalb-Un, once the pioneers of limited government and free market economics, now sought to consolidate power in themselves, to protect the citizens of Sankalb-Un from any more aggressions by the Earth Kingdom. All across the border, forts were erected, the military was expanded, taxes increased, and quotas given to important manufacturing industries and farms. In short, while the Earth Kingdom has lost the battle, they had won the war. Their incursion into Sankalb-Un territory, and the destruction they reaped from mostly Un territory, robbed Sankalb-Un of the principles that made it great. Freedom was exchanged for security because no citizen of Sankalb-Un, not San, not Kalban, and especially not the Un, wanted to go experience the sacking of their livelihood.

But perhaps the most tragic consequence of the Unkerlant Incursion, which is how history remembers the brief war, was the effect on the mentality of the Un. Of the three states and one independent city that made up Sankalb-Un, the Un were the most vulnerable to the Earth Kingdom. They shared the most of the border with their massive northern neighbor, and were considered the buffer state by the Sans and the Kalbans to the south. They, unlike the Sans or the Kalbans, were also genetic cousins to the majority of the Earth Kingdom population. So after the Unkerlant Incursion, a number of activist groups arose, shouting the need to reunite with Holy Mother Unkerlant, as the Earth Kingdom was known to ethic and religious Unkerlanters. Some of these groups were Un who were fearful of another war, and what it would do to their state. Others, the vast majority, were paid spies and traitors, loyal not to the Consul of Sankalb-Un, but to the Earth King, who had been recently reinstated by the Avatar. The Earth King, knowing direct assault was pointless, especially now with all of the forts springing up, resorted to subterfuge and playing off the fear of the Un. Unlike military incursion, this was wildly successful. From the time of the Unkerlant Incursion till the Ethic Wars, all Un Consuls took a sympathetic, slightly cowering, stance to the Earth Kingdom. The Kalb and the Sans were sickened by this, and a rift grew between the three people.

Secondary consequences from the Incursion and the build up of governmental power that followed it, was the emigration of foreigners out of Sankalb-Un. Initially, the government of Sankalb-Un had attracted wealthy foreign nationals to their country, hoping that their allies would invest heavily in the new nation. To that end, the government of Sankalb-Un kept taxes low, and allowed business to do as they pleased, provided that they cared for their workers. This strategy proved wildly successfully as money flowed into the new state and the quality of life of its citizens improved rapidly. Yet after the Incursion, with taxes rising and governmental control spinning out of control, many foreigners who had come over at the start of the country and who had become duel citizens now fled, taking their money and expertise with them. Perhaps the most tragic loss to Sankalb-Un was the emigration of the Poder family, especially Adamas Poder. Adamas Poder was on the verge of codifying and publishing Sankalb-Un's unique business policy when the crackdown on freedom began. Disgusted by the Sankalb-Un government, Adamas left and returned to the Fire Nation. He would eventually publish his findings in a small book called An Examination into the Foundation and Personality of the Prosperity of the Fatherland.

After the Incursion, and the implosion of governmental power, tensions between the three people grew. Adding to the already high political tension was religious tension. The religion of the world was divided into two categories. The first were the pagans, loosely organized who worshiped the planet, Crudrijk, as a god with the elements and spirits as lesser deities. The primary parishioners of paganism were the Sans. The second category is the Good Samaritan Faith. This is the faith of the majority of the world. The Good Samaritan faith tells that the world was created by an all powerful deity, known simply as the Creator, with the Spirits of the Spirit World, Anidus, serving as protectors of mankind. The Good Samaritan Faith is divided into two branches; the Western Faith, and the Eastern Faith. The only difference between the two lies in the acknowledgement of the Brethren Court, a council of priests. The Western Faith accepts the Brethren Court and heeds their council on major matters. The Eastern Faith rejects the Brethren Court. The Kalb, for the most part, follow the Western Faith, and the Un, for the most part, follow the Eastern.

Before the Incursion no one in Sankalb-Un cared one way or the other about the faith of the other states. This changed because after the Incursion, each state started cultivating more personal alliances with various nations. The Un, mostly out of fear, started rejoining the Earth Kingdom camp. Since the Earth Kingdom, as a whole, believed in the Eastern Samaritan Faith, the Un began to persecute the small numbers of Western Samaritans in their state. The Kalb, situated between the Un and the Sans, closely allied themselves to the Fire nation and Kuusamo. Unlike the Un, the Kalb did not persecute the small amount of Eastern Samaritans in their state. Instead, they started attacking, verbally, the Eastern Samaritans in the Un state. Finally, the Sans, allied themselves with the Southern Water Tribe and the Southern Air Temple. Both of these nations had pagan leanings, even if officially they were a mix of Western and Eastern Samaritans.

As the years progressed, the unity of Sankalb-Un began to dissolve. The alliances with other nations became more open, and the central government lost more and more power. The three states still elected a Consul, but by end of Kuruk's life, the position had largely become a figurehead. As for Kuruk he took no notice of these events. He instead focused on finding Koh, that ancient demon who killed so many of humanity during the Demon Wars 10,000 years ago, along with his wife.

The nations waited patiently, making no overt move that would draw his attention. All sides wanted a good blood letting, but knew if they moved too soon all their preparations would be for naught. The time finally came, when in 312 BSC, Kuruk died. Immediately the Un launched their attacks, buoyed by the strength of the Earth Kingdom. Not to be taken without a fight, the Sans and the Kalb joined forces to stop the Un thrust. After a massive battle, the war slowed as each of the states turned on each other. The Ethic Wars were bloody affairs, with plenty of bushwhacking and war crimes to go around. No side held the high ground for long and the population of the countries plummeted from deaths on the battlefield and the swarms of beings who fled. The wars would proceed for ten years, off and on, off and on, off and on, until the very land itself was on the verge of death.

This is where our story starts. And it all begins with a ten year old girl named Kyoshi, who is struggling to survive in the war ravished city of Kyoshi, fighting to make it out alive with her brother, the only member of her family left alive.

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**The man who is writing is a semi-disgraced general of the Order of the White Lotus. Without giving too much away, let us say that he got a bit "friendly" with the enemy commander's right hand woman, and you can guess what happened. He is writing the history because he cannot speak of his love to his daughter. She will eventually find out, but that is way in the future, 120/121 ASC. In anyevent, i hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Riding the Currents: Pax Kyoshi. Tell me, how do you like it?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing by my own ocs**


	2. Act 1, Encirclement

**I had thought that I would get to Kyoshi today, but I decided to spend a little time on Macek and Zastitnik who will be semi important in the following chapters and whose descendents will be important. But Kyoshi will come about next chapter!**

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**"The neutrality of Abbeys, Temples, and other sites of religious origin and significance are to be respected. At no point are any armed combatants of any country allowed to desecrate the site, to take persons from the site, or so engage in combat around the site. Any person seeking refuge in a religious site shall be granted immunity unless they are in violation of the Omashu Accords, and this has been proven by a trial jury of disinterested jurors."**

**Section from the Omashu Accords (The Avatar's Version of the Geneva Convention) dealing with the neutrality of religious sites **

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**Riding the Currents: Pax Kyoshi**

**Act 1, Encirclement **

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**Kyoshi City, Kalban territory; 302 BSC**

It is the tenth year of the Sankalb-Un Ethic Wars. War has ravaged the land, causing millions to flee in all directions. Kalban, once the most populous of the three states of Sankalb-Un, is now a nearly empty land. Only the city of Kyoshi, located on the eastern coast and a few scattered farms have any permanent residences left. This is not to say that all of the Kalbs are dead. Most have immigrated to other lands, the majority have settled in Kuba, a large subtropical island only a few miles south of the Fire Nation. It is in Kuba that the Fire Nation is conducting an experiment.

Ever since the end of the Demonic Wars (10,000 BSC), the principle nations of the world have been the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, the Air Nomads, and the Water Tribes. Each nation has its own distinct ethic and bending nature. For thousands of years the nations have been homogenous, and it was considered taboo to cross the set boundaries, whether they be marriage, politics, or economics. Yet the walls that were erected in the aftermath of Koh's attempts to destroy humanity are breaking down. The Fire Lord, and a select few in the Congress of Algarve (the legislative body of the Fire Nation), have realized that resistance to the change will be futile. They can already see the future of those who attempt stop the change.

So, in Kuba, the Fire Lord is building a new, more stable society. It is his hope that all the people of the world can come together and live in peace, without millennia old rivalries and arguments tearing them apart. The new society has already attracted a great deal of Kalb refugees, and more are streaming in from other parts of the world. Their numbers are so great that one of the counties of Kuba has been renamed in their honor; the new name is Algar-Kalban. The residents of Algar-Kalban have vowed to one day return to Kalban and reclaim it.

Of the Kalb not fortunate enough to make it to Kuba and Algar-Kalban there are other places where they put down roots. Many Kalb find themselves in the walled cities of the Earth Kingdom from Omashu in the south, to Eoforwic in the northwestern peninsula, to Ba Sing Se in the northeast. Already they face discrimination and persecution, their looks proclaiming them not to be of Unkerlant blood. Some of the refugees pull up stakes and leave in the face of the persecution, but most stay. The reasons for staying vary, but generally it all boils down to wanting to spite their new neighbors by refusing to bow to pressure.

Outside of the Earth Kingdom, a few Kalb settle in Air Nomad territory which brings them into conflict with the Air Monks, a prominent religious/political party in the Air Nomad nation. Only a very few make it to Kuusamo where, outside of Algar-Kalban, they are treated humanely.

With so few people living in Kalban now, the Armies of the San and Un have found it easy to divide the land between themselves, and begin the process of redistribution of the land to their own citizens. There is only one problem that remains before the Sans and the Un can claim victory against the Kalb. The problem's name is Kyoshi. Kyoshi has long served as the capital of Kalban, and was once the capital of Sankalb-Un. Now it is the last bastion of the Kalb on what once was their homeland. As such it is a priority target for the Sans and the Un. Whoever can capture it first will gain the upper hand against the other.

Unfortunately for the Sans and the Un, the Fire Nation and Kuusamo are not willing to allow the Kalban homeland to be partitioned between the more aggressive northerners and southerners. They have sent a large invasion force to recapture and hold Kalban, allowing for those Kalb who wish to return to do so in peace and in safety. The Sans, having gotten wind of this first, launched a large invasion force consisting of two armies; the Army of Beowulf and the Army of Crudrijk. Both forces set out from Sanolia (their capital) with the intent to finish off the remnants of the Kalb defenders and what few foreign troops resided in Kyoshi before the Fire Nation and Kuusaman armada could descend on the city and further fortify it.

The final campaign was complicated when a Un army, reinforced with Earth Kingdom forces, descended upon the Army of Crudrijk, inflicting heavy casualties on it before retreating. The now much shrunken Army of Crudrijk linked up with the Army of Beowulf and the two wasted time fighting the Un army. Together, the two Sanoli armies defeated the Un army and spent a few days mopping up. Once the Sanoli armies were secure in the knowledge that their rears were protected, they set out once again for Kyoshi. It was only when they arrived at the suburbs of the city did the Sanoli general realize his mistake. By taking the time to fight the Un, the Sanoli had allowed a small vanguard of Fire Nation and Kuusaman troops to reach the city and fortify it. Now, instead of fighting a few Kalbs and some foreign mercenaries, the Sanoli were facing three full battalions (1,000 soldier per battalion) along with the supporting forces including dragons and Komodo Rhinos.

The Sanoli general briefly considered turning back, but almost instantly disregarded that notion. Failure was punished most severely in Sanolia. So he ordered the Army of Beowulf (the Army of Crudrijk not having enough men to be called an army any longer) to attack Kyoshi. To say that it was a bloodbath would have insulted the word. The Army of Beowulf smashed against the forts that had been hastily constructed and blew right past them, but the Army of Beowulf paid heavily in blood for that success. What was worse was then they entered the city proper the Kalb and their allies fought like Koh's Demons for every street and building. For a fight of this nature the Battle of Kyoshi went quickly, but the Sanoli general watched as his army (150,000 men) dwindled and dwindled. To be sure the Sans gave as good as they got, but there was one key difference between the two sides. The Sans would not receive any more troops. Sanoli had no more to spare, while the Kalb and the vanguard of Fire Nation and Kuusaman troops were expecting an armada to arrive any day. Also as time went on, the General grew more and more nervous and paranoid. After a week of combat, and a very disturbing report from one of his flying scouts (the Sans used Flying Bison bought from the Southern Air Temple as bombers and scouts) that said in no uncertain terms that the Armada was only two days away the General ordered Kyoshi burnt to the ground. Using his Flying Bison as bombers, the General set fire to Kyoshi and watched from safety as the defenders of the city pull back, and pull back. Thankfully for Kyoshi, a sudden rain storm put out the fire before the entire city population was burnt to death, but the fire had done its job. Only a range of hills that separated the old city and habour from the newer, larger one stood in the Sans way. All that remained of the Vanguard and the original city defenders had massed at a centuries old Abbey. These brave warriors were augmented by the citizens who had no where else to run to.

The Sanoli general, seeing this, threw all of his forces into a direct attack on the Abbey, which was situated on a series of hills that separated the harbor from the rest of the city. It was the last defensive position of the Kalb. Once the Sanoli break through there, the citizens would fall before their merciless blades, and the Sanoli could bring their cannons into perfect position for firing on the arriving Armada. Of course the Sanoli general should have realized that the defenders would not give up, and after another day and a half of fierce fighting, the Sanoli Army, now only a half strength Corp (50,000) had not even managed to fully encircle the Abbey and the last defenders. The Sanoli general was frantic and was throwing everything to the wind, his caution, his sense, and his men's lives. He knew, as much as the defenders knew, that the Armada was only a short time's distance away. Several of the more powerful Southern Water Tribe mercenaries who were accompanying the Sans could already feel the echoes of the waves crashing against the hulls of the Armada. Feeling this, they soon decided that they had lived up to their contracts with the Sanoli Government and were soon fleeing the battlefield. Seeing this, a mass desertion overtook the Sanoli Army leaving the general with only Division (20,000). This was still more then enough to finally kill off the defenders in the Abbey, but time was not on their side. Already the flying scouts could see the Armada, moving closer and closer with each passing second. At most, they calculated, there was an hour before the Armada beached itself and began unloading its troops. It was not enough time. Still the General would not hear of it and pressed the attack against the Abbey. He did so before he had fully encircled the Abbey, which would cost his nation, and all the nations aligned against Kalb, a great deal. Though he would not live to see it…

**Abbey of Kyoshi**

Seeing the forces amassed against his Abbey, Ba'buir Macek Stepinac Feng feels a strange mix of pride and sorrow. Ever since the Vanguard, which is what the citizens of Kyoshi call the three battalions of soldiers who came to their aid, arrived, he and the other priests of the Abbey had been hard at work. First they built the forts on the outside of the city. True, they were not the most sturdy or well constructed buildings, but their point was to fall quickly so when the main army was moving over and past them demolition experts could blow the charges of blasting jelly they had installed under the forts. From then on Macek was either healing the wounded, or using a bow and arrow to kill as many Sans as possible. He did this as well as could be expected from a man of his age. He felt a tiny stab of guilt the first time he killed a man (it was with an arrow to the head), but he quickly pushed that guilt away. What right did the Sans have to be pitied? From the moment the Ethic Wars began the Sans had urinated on the Omashu Accords, which listed the rules of war. The Sans, when they took prisoners, enslaved them either as manual labors or, in the case of the beautiful women, as sex slaves. They would routinely torture prisoners, just for the fun of it! Macek even suspected them of building special "camps" whose purpose he dared not even contemplate. So afterwards, as he and the rest of the defenders and the Vanguard retreated, Macek reviled in every dead San he saw, in every one he killed.

Yet now, hiding behind some rubble, Macek cannot help but feel sadness. He had never wanted to be a warrior. He had only wanted to be a priest, to be a healer. He wanted to sow life in place of death, to tend to his flock with the same care and devotion he attended to his wife and his children. In another life, in another time, that would have been possible. But the Incursion ruined everything. If the Earth King had not invaded… But he had, and the country was forevermore changed because of it.

Sighing with frustration, Macek pulls back, away from the edge of the hill, and makes his way back to one of the trenches. Muttering the password so his allies don't cut him, Macek slides into the trench and sighs again. One of his comrades, a big burly man, hears him and switches places with another soldier.

"Is something wrong Ba'buir?" The man asks in a respectful tone of voice.

Macek shakes his head. "No, there is nothing wrong Zastitnik. And please, don't call me Ba'buir. I, I am not worthy of that title."

Zastitnik Molotov snorts his disagreement before placing a large hand on the older man's shoulder. "Nonsense Ba'buir. You have done nothing to dishonor yourself. On the contrary, you have fulfilled your obligations as a Ba'buir of the Mirshe (Teachers/Priests) and the Circle of Samaritan Healers."

Macek jerks his shoulder away from Zastitnik's hand, his skin feeling like it has been scorched by the younger man's touch. "I have not, and you know it! A Ba'buir is a title of respect, a name for a Good Samaritan who has shown to be spiritually, emotionally, and physically mature. It is a title given to those who have shown the ability to turn from evil and have done so on a consistent basis. I, I am nothing but an Aruetii, a traitor, a fallen Samaritan." Macek stops talking as emotions well up inside of him. The only release he allows himself is the stream of tears cascading down his cheeks.

Zastitnik remains silent, letting the older man express his grief in his own way. It would be counter productive to do anything else. The other men in the trench also wisely keep their mouth shut. They know why Macek feels the way he does, why he considers himself an Aruetii which is the lowest thing a Good Samaritan can sink too. But they also know that he is placing unnecessary blame on his soldiers. If Macek had been a Zealot, a Good Samaritan who was a soldier, then he would understand. But Macek trained to be a healer, a teacher, and a priest. Being a soldier is something that he is not prepared for, and unfortunately the Sans did not give him enough time to adjust.

When Macek has no more tears to cry he turns back to Zastitnik. "Do you know what I did to my patients when I could not move them back fast enough when we were withdrawing?" His voice is cold, hard, full of self-loathing. Again, Zastitnik does not say a word, so Macek answers his own question. "I killed them. I slit their throats. Some of them were little children who had got hit in the crossfire. I killed little children Zastitnik! That is something the Sans do, not something a Ba'buir does."

This time Zastitnik reaches out, and places his hand back on the Ba'buir's shoulder. "You know what would have happened if they were captured by the Sans." Macek does not answer him, does not even look at him, but Zastitnik knows the Ba'buir knows. Macek just does not want to face it, for it would mean he would be absolved, and could not honestly berate himself for what he had to do. "They would have killed the children, and the injured, if the captured Kalbs and soldiers were lucky." Zastitnik tightens his grip on the Ba'buir's shoulder and turns the older man to face him. Locking his eyes with Macek, Zastitnik plows on. "For the unlucky ones, their fates were as either laborers, or sex slaves. With the Sans there are only three fates: death, labor, or sex. You are not to blame for the injured's deaths. The Sans are. When this war is over there will be a great reckoning and an even greater purge of the Sans for all that they have done in this war. They want to ignore the Omashu Accords, then fine. The Omashu Accords won't apply to them when we win. And trust me, we will win once the Armada lands."

Several men in the trench nod their heads solemnly, looking forward to the day when the armies of the Fire Nation and Kuusamo march into Sanoli and sack it. Still, Macek tries to argue, and not let go of his self-imposed guilt. "That does not matter. I am the one who…"

Zastitnik does not let him finish the sentence, instead adding on a new ending. "Who saved them from a fate worse then death. Macek, don't do this to yourself. There is no single man here, at this Abbey, in this city, probably in the Kalb community, that is more highly respected then you. We all know what you have done. The soldiers know it, the refugees know it, even the Sans know it. The prisoners we take speak of how word of your deeds and actions have spread through their ranks. So stop this. You do not deserve the guilt you are forcing on yourself. You are a good man, an honorable man, a man of faith. You deserve the title of Ba'buir"

The men, sensing that it was now the right time to get involved, start chanting Macek's name. "Ba'buir Macek. Ba'buir Macek" The chant builds and builds until other trenches hear it. Not knowing why, but trusting in the chant, they to begin to chant, "Ba'buir Macek." Like a row of dominoes, the chant gains momentum with each trench it reaches. Eventually the whole Abbey is chanting and soon the first of the civilians hear and begin chanting. After five minutes a loud roar is coming from the remnants of the city, spooking the Sans and by some twist of the winds making its way out to the first ships of the Armada.

After ten minutes, the chant dies down, leaving Macek speechless. Zastitnik supplies the words by grabbing the older man and enveloping him in a bear hug. "You may have lost faith in yourself, but know that we have not lost faith in you." This breaks the older man who once again starts crying, only this time at the knowledge that his flock still trusts him so much. The other men at the trench gather around their Ba'buir and clasp their arms around each other. The moment is cut short, however, when Macek stiffens. Zastitnik notices this and orders the men to back off, which they do. Setting Macek down, Zastitnik realizes what is happening. "Back away, now! Ba'buir is having a vision!"

Some of the men get out of the trench, knowing that there very presence could disrupt the vision and no one wants that. As the men move away from him, Macek stabilizes, relaxing into what could pass for a deep sleep. Thankfully he is only like that for a minute before his eyes shoot open. Zastitnik, seeing is it safe to approach, does so cautiously. "Ba'buir, what did you see?"

The older man looks at his friend, and shakes his head mournfully. "Zastitnik, I am so sorry. I, I let my grief blind me, and now more men will lose their lives because of it." Zastitnik snorts, this time in impatience.

"Ba'buir, tell me what needs to be done, and I will get it done. I may only be a Sergeant Major, but I am the highest ranked individual left in this city, so what I say goes." Because of the fierce nature of the combat during the Battle of Kyoshi, casualties rate for all ranks of soldiers were especially high. Yet officers among the Kalb and Vanguard forces were especially high. The Kalb officer deaths were high because the Kalb had long ago purged the cowardly or useless officers from their military, leaving only the fittest behind. The Vanguard officer death rates were high because the commander of the Armada did not send cowards to hold Kyoshi. He sent only his best. So, naturally, the officers of the Kalb and Vanguard did not lead their men from the rear, which was the safest route. They led from the front, and got killed in greater numbers because of it. But while a high price was paid, the remaining officers could be absolutely guaranteed of the loyalty of their soldiers and could be assured that when they gave orders, the common soldiers would follow them.

Nodding, perhaps sensing the impatience, Macek explains. As he does the blood from Zastitnik's face drains. He is silent for a minute, digesting everything that Macek just said. If what he said it true… Zastitnik gazes at the Ba'buir and his doubts are quelled. Macek had the Glow, so the vision was real.

"I will get on that." Zastitnik starts to leave the trench when he has a thought. Turning back, Zastitnik gestures with his head to the massing Sans several hundred feet away. "You know that when we do this, you will most likely die?"

Macek only nods solemnly. "She is far more important they you, me, or anyone else here. She alone can direct all of the Currents and bend them to her will. If we are to die, then our deaths should mean something. I would hate to ride Charon's Ferry simply because I lived in Kalban. Besides, this is my fault. If I had not been wallowing in self-imposed guilt, I would have sensed the vision sooner. No, if death is to be my punishment for blocking my charka, then so be it."

Zastitnik shudders at the thought of the spirit who ferries dead souls across the Void, protecting them from the Demons. After a second he nods, and makes his way out of the trench. Muttering so low that Macek does not hear him, Zastitnik adds, "I would not mind riding the Ferry, if I could only take the whole of that army with me."

* * *

**Recently I watched Dante's Inferno and I had a little revelation. I won't say what it was now, but I will say that you will be seeing Charon later on in Book 2 (that is what the 99/100 ASC War story will be called until I come up with a better name). Who knows? Charon might show up in Riding the Currents. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter and like the two new OCs. One thing I am doing in Riding the Currents and Book two will have important families for each nation. These families are like the Rockefellers for their individual nation. So for now here are the families, Bei Fong = Earth Kingdom, Poder = Fire Nation, Feng/Molotov = Algar-Kalban/Kalban, Long = Southern Water Tribe, ? = Northern Water Tribe, ? Air Nomads. **

**And on visions, certain people have the ability to receive visions, but if there is some negative emotion that is consuming them (guilt, shame, lack in insight, all the stuff that blocks charkas) then they won't be able to see the vision and won't know they are having one.**

**Last thing, if there is something you read that doesn't make sense to you PM me and I will clear up any misunderstanding. Thanks, review please!**

**Reply to Reviewers**

**doctor anthony: I am glad you like it. As soon as I learned that Kyoshi took out Chin with basically no hesitation I knew that there had to be something in her past that was dark. I am actually looking forward to writing that part. And I will be interested in seeing the new Ka Chein. My Ka Chein will be nice, but more on that later.**

**: I am glad you think it is realistic and that you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy this one too.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs!**


	3. Act 1, Breakout

**Okay, this is the chapter where Kyoshi gets introduced. This is also the chapter where we find out why she is such a firm believer in Justice. Warning: Some scenes may be a little gory, but lets face it, war is not pretty. **

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**"Row! ROW! Row you fornicating, lazy sons of whores! Kalbs, Algarvians, and Kuusamans are dying!"**

**Colonel Heinrich Konrad Poder screams abuse at his men while at one of the rowing stations on the lead ship, pulling as hard as he can **

* * *

**Riding the Currents: Pax Kyoshi**

**Act 1, Breakout**

* * *

**Abbey of Kyoshi; 302 BSC**

Most Abbeys were simple structures. They were built to be places of worship, and fellowship among believers. They did not have the need of businessmen or politicians to impress. Most Abbeys simply existed. Though, as is often the case, there are exceptions to every rule. Abbeys that are in major cities will typically spruce themselves up a little bit and shine with opulence, at least when compared to countryside Abbeys.

Ornamentation aside, there is one feature that all Abbeys share, no matter who gathers inside their walls or where they are located. All Abbeys have a series of Catacombs running beneath them. What the Catacombs are used for varies from Abbey to Abby. In major population centers, Catacombs are most often used as gathering places for the Mason sect (Good Samaritans who are politician/statesmen). The Masons use the Catacombs as secret meeting places where they can discuss and plan their activities (though more often then naught they merely complain about their constituents to each other). Out in the countryside, Catacombs are used dually for burial of the dead and for storing supplies. In war torn regions (like Kyoshi), the Catacombs are used to hide valuables. In war, the term valuables range from simple jewels to food, equipment, and to the most valuable item of all, human life.

In the Kyoshi Abbey, the Catacombs are being filled with the injured, those too sick to fight, or those who are two young. Only a small number of those going in are healthy, but they aren't there to hide. At one of the entrances, a ten year old lowers the last of her group, a three year old boy, into the Catacombs. A young man, only fourteen, takes the boy and hands him off to another. "That is the last of them." The girl informs the young man.

He nods, then adopts a sullen face. "This isn't right. I should be up there. I can wield a sword. I can at least take one of them down before I go."

While the girl's gaze is compassionate her voice is firm. "We both know that that is impossible, Bolesno. Someone needs to be down here, in case the fight is lost. We cannot allow the Sans to get their pagan hands on the children. The children must not suffer, no matter what." Bolesno flinches when he looks in to the girls eyes. Already at ten, the girl has the eyes of a soldier.

Nodding, Bolesno accedes. "It is as you say Kyoshi. Still, I had hoped that I would not have to drink from the cup that is my father's torment."

At this comment Kyoshi's eyes narrow, and all compassion drains from her eyes. Before Bolesno has time to process it, Kyoshi has used her Earthbending to raise the ground under his feet a few feet, bringing him to her eye level. This time, Bolesno cringes at the look in her eyes. Seeing this, Kyoshi reaches out, grabs his chin, and brings him closer to her face.

"Open your eyes." He does so. "I will only say this once, and you had better heed me. You are down in the Catacombs because you are sick. You cannot bend, and if you met a soldier on the battlefield you would be cut down before you could even raise your sword. Your duty, since you are so woefully unfit for the battlefield, is being an executioner. If the Armada does not reach us in time we will be destroyed. If that is the case then it is your job to slit the throats off all the children. They are innocent and do not deserve the horrors the Sans will put them through if they are captured. So yes, you will have to drink from your father's cup. Not only that, but you will bathe yourself in the children's blood, if the situation calls for it. If you do not, I promise you this Bolesno." Here Kyoshi brings the older boy even closer, whispering in his ear. "I will find you, and as we journey across the Void to Anidus, I will throw you overboard into the land of the Demons." Kyoshi backs away then, and grants Bolesno a sweet smile, which is all the more terrifying in the light of her last words. Shivering with fear, Bolesno nods his agreement causing another smile to break across Kyoshi's face. "Good boy." And with a pat on the head, Kyoshi sends the frightened boy down into the Catacombs, and seals then entrance with her Earthbending.

Sighing, Kyoshi stands up and slowly starts using her Earthbending to cover the entrance with debris. As she works, Kyoshi allows her mind to wander. Now that he is out of sight, Kyoshi feels regret and a little shame about how she treated Bolesno. She knows that it necessary, but she takes no joy from it. All Kyoshi ever wanted, ever since her parents died, was peace. There had been far too little of that precious substance in her life. The Ethic Wars were tearing the very souls out of the people of the Sankalb peninsula, and no one knew just how to stop it. There had been too many killings, to much blood spilled. It was feared that only unconditional surrender would stop the fighting, but what did you have to do to the enemy to get them to surrender unconditionally?

That was an answer no one had come up with, yet. As things stand even if the Kalb were victorious, what would that victory mean to them as a people, and to Kyoshi as a person? Kyoshi is not naïve. She knows how the world works. She knows what the war has done to her people, to the land, and to herself. The way she treated Bolesno is the perfect example. She feels shame now, but that does not mean she won't carry out her threat if he does not do what he promised he would. And to willingly damn someone to the Void, where the Demons of the Spirit World were banished after they failed in their attempted war of Genocide… that says a great deal about a person, most of it not good.

Yet Kyoshi cannot take the threat back now. She made a promise to Bolesno, and if he fails in his duty then she will have to carry out and fulfill her word. In Kyoshi's mind, one of the major problems with the world is the fact that no one backs up their words with actions. The Omashu Accords are a perfect example. The Accords were the brain child of Avatar Yangchen, the previous Avatar before Kuruk. Yangchen was no fool. She knew that there would come a day when science would produce weapons capable of destroying the Avatar. When that day came, the power of the Avatar to affect policy and influence the works of human kind would be greatly diminished. So Yangchen had gathered the leaders of the nations together and forced them to adopt the Accords. It was her hope that these rules would limit the destruction of the wars that were fought in the years between each Avatar. It was a noble goal, and it worked, until the Ethic Wars.

During the first years of the Ethic Wars, the Sans had made several probes, committing a few minor atrocities that violated the Accords. Kalban and her allies tried to punish the Sans, but the Southern Water Tribe was able to protect her ally from punishment. Since the Sans had gotten away with the atrocities, they went right on doing more. Over time the atrocities grew and grew until the Kalb hated the Sans more then any other people in the world. Now the Sans don't even bother worrying about the Accords because the Accords, in a sense, is toothless. Because the other nations of the world did not have the ruthlessness to carry out Justice when the Sans first violated the Accords, the Accords were cheapened and eventually grew to mean nothing. So that is why when Kyoshi tells someone something, she means it. Even as young as ten, Kyoshi has a reputation of ruthless honesty. It is both a gift, and a curse. Which one it is depends on the circumstance.

Kyoshi continues her musing, while working to cover the entrance to the Catacombs with as much debris as possible. She is so lost in her thoughts and work that when she hears a shout, she nearly drops a one ton slab of stone on her foot. Cursing at the potentially painful, and very embarrassing, accident, Kyoshi looks up from her work to see that the cause of the near accident is her brother, Braniti Sestra Pravda. Kyoshi is about to ask what is wrong when Braniti holds up his hand. "There is no time. Ba'buir Macek has had a vision, and requests your presence. Immediately." Braniti does not wait for her reply, instead grabbing her by the waist, and lifting her up and placing her on his shoulder. With nary a thought to her dignity, Braniti starts running for the Ba'buir.

"Braniti!" Kyoshi screams in little-sister-indignation. She tries to get down, but Braniti's grasp if firm.

"There is no time. I can run faster then you can, so be quiet. When word reached me, it was abundantly clear that the Ba'buir, and Sergeant Major Zastitnik, wants to see you now. I do not know anything more then that, but there is something that makes me feel uneasy about the situation." Kyoshi does not say anything more, trusting Braniti's assessment of the situation.

The rest of the trip past in silence, with only Kyoshi mouthing off a few soldiers who snicker at her current position. When the two reach the trench that contains Macek, Braniti sets Kyoshi down, and after the younger girl punches her big brother in the arm, the two climb down into the trench.

They are greeted immediately by the sight of twelve of the most hardened soldiers they have ever seen, looking grimily at Kyoshi Harbor and the slowly shrinking corridor between the two arms of the Sans pincer movement. Two other men are in the trench. One is a man in a sergeant's uniform, Zastitnik Kyoshi supposes. He is calmly sitting on the ground, gathering earth around his legs and hands. The last man in the trench is the oldest, in subdued brown and white cloth. He, obviously, is Ba'buir Macek.

Macek is the first to greet the siblings. "Kyoshi Pravda, and Braniti S. Pravda, it is good to meet you at last. I must say that I would rather have been meeting you for the first time under better circumstances, but you must play the hand you are dealt." Zastitnik groans at this, though Kyoshi has no idea why. Macek ignores him. "In any event, come here child. I have something important to tell you."

Not knowing what the Ba'buir of the Kyoshi Abbey could possibly have to tell her, Kyoshi steps forward. When she is within a foot of the Ba'buir she stops and waits patiently for the old man have his say. As she waits for a brief second, Kyoshi wonders if the Ba'buir's vision was on a crushing defeat of the Armada, and if so, why he called her up.

"My vision was brief. A few years from now, this age will end. After this age ends, there will be five more ages. The first will be a time of peace and relative stability for the world. The population will increase several fold, and wars will be kept to a minimum. The gifts of science will be numerous, and all the world will reap the benefits, and woes, of an industrial revolution, and a thaumaturgical revolution. Knowledge will greatly be increased, and the distances between people will shortened, though the hearts of man will remain isolated from each other.

"The second age will be a time of restlessness and great injustice. Great nations will be robbed and ravaged, and hate will simmer. The Avatar will come to be despised by half the world, and the sunlit nations of the equator will gear themselves for war on an unimaginable scale. The Kalb people will face increasing persecution as the light of our civilization struggles to shine in the growing darkness. Darkness will also descend upon the Ice continent of the Southern Water Tribe. There the Serfs will find the coldness of the ice warm when compared to the coldness of the Southern Water Tribe.

"The third age will be an age of wars unlike any we have seen before. Millions will die and great empires will be destroyed. Evil will be ascendant in the world as people are farmed as though they are wheat. Yet the righteous will not be overcome. Bastions of light will beat back the darkness, and true Justice will once again shine over the world. In this age the Avatar will have no bearing or control on these wars. He will be powerless, incase in a prison of his own making, though he will be conscious of the pain, and it will drive him mad. Though only for a time.

"The fourth age is an age of great corruption. In this age the victors of the age of Conflict will have their foundations corroded and corrupted by evil individuals who seek only power, yet do not sacrifice anything for it. Their evil, selfish intention will rob the righteous of much of their beings. Yet the new darkness they seek to impose will be met by the light of true Justice. At the end of the century, the fiery light from the Heavens will return, and under its glow heroes will fight and destroy the evil, as well confront each other. Two heroes will fight for control of the world. One will be the Emerald Phoenix, the other the Golden Dragon. The fight between them will have as much importance as the fight between the Corrupter, and the Avatar.

"The fifth and final age will be one of peace and understanding. The flow of technology and ideas will be unprecedented in this time, and great prosperity will flow from the working hands of the people. It will only be after twenty years that a defeated power will rise, to test the world, to see if it has the strength to endure." Macek finishes his prophecy with a tear running down his cheek, closing his eyes so that he could once again experience the vision he had received.

Kyoshi is a bit overwhelmed at the words of the Ba'buir, but does not understand what it has to do with her. "Your Excellency, I am glad that you have received a vision of such importance to the future, but what does it have to do with me? Why did you call me here when the Sans are about to attack us?" Kyoshi's puzzlement is shown clearly on her face.

Macek opens his eyes, and smiles at Kyoshi. Patting her on the head, he explains. "Why, my child, the first age will be yours. Avatar."

At first Kyoshi does not hear him, or more accurately does not comprehend. Then as the shocked expressions and exclamations of the soldiers make it into her ears, Kyoshi staggers. Stumbling slightly, she is held up by Macek, and her brother. "Avatar…" She stammers, "but that, that is impossible."

At her words, Zastitnik speaks up. "Nothing is impossible young Avatar. Now that the Ba'buir has informed me, I can see it for myself. The veil has been torn from our eyes. We now see your brilliance. You shine with power. It is now our mission to see you to safety."

His words finally sap her brain out of the slight cloud it had entered when Macek told her that she was the Avatar. "No, no you can't. I won't let you. I won't run while my comrades die!" She screams at Zastitnik, Macek, and everyone else.

Zastitnik actually finds her refusal amusing, which only infuriates her more. "You will do what you are told soldier." His words are harsh, but there is no heat to them. He knows what she is feeling.

Kyoshi is grief stricken. She is but a mere Private, she has no choice but to obey the lawful orders of her superiors, and Sergeant Zastitnik practically commands the whole army, even though he is only a sergeant. Kyoshi suddenly has an idea. Snapping her finger, she sticks her tongue out at the men. "I resign. I am no longer a soldier, and therefore no longer under your command."

One of the soldiers laughs a short harsh laugh, and gives Braniti a sympathetic look. "Is what you deal with everyday?" Braniti only nods, and then sighs at his sister's impetuousness.

Macek, however, does not find this amusing. "That is enough of that young lady. Because of me enough time has been wasted. You will now go with Sergeant Zastitnik and the other soldiers, and you will breakout of this enclosed position. You must survive. Without you, the first age will never come to pass, and the Fire Nation will enter a dark age unlike any it has experienced before." Not giving Kyoshi any more time to argue, Macek stands up and, with water covering his hand, places his hand on Kyoshi's forehead. She tries to resist, but Macek is a master Waterbender and Healer. He knows how to get what he wants. Barely five seconds elapse before Kyoshi is unconscious.

Without be told, Zastitnik kneels down, and scoops the unconscious girl up in his arms. Using the earth, he binds her to his chest so he doesn't have to hold her. When she is secure, Zastitnik rises, gives Macek a nod of respect, then heads toward the harbor, the ten soldiers he handpicked following at his heels. Braniti is still unsure whether to follow them or not when Macek places his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Protect your sister." It is all Braniti needs. He rushes off to rejoin the others.

As the twelve men and one girl disappear from sight, Macek bows his knees and sinks to the ground in prayer. _'Mysterious creator, if one life should be saved let it be Kyoshi. The world needs an Avatar of her temperament.'_ Having poured his whole heart into that single request, Macek rises, his heart cleared of doubt, and turns his attention to a lieutenant that had jumped in the trench when Zastitnik and the others left.

"Sir, the men are ready. Do we issue the challenge now?" There is no fear in the young woman's voice. She, and the others of the Vanguard, have passed beyond fear.

Nodding yes, Macek climbs up the trench and stands in full view of the massed army, or what remains of it, of Beowulf. Cupping his hands together over his mouth, Macek throws down the gauntlet.

"COME AND GET US YOU SWINE DOGS!" The rest of the Vanguard roars in approval, and the attack proceeds. The final stand of Kyoshi City, and the Kalb Civilization, has begun.

**Backside of the Abbey**

Zastitnik strides quickly through the Abbey, moving out onto the back side, and almost immediately starting down hill. In front of him, not but a hundred feet or so, he can see the pincer movement that the San General had order. It is almost touching. Realizing that he has no time to spare, Zastitnik yells out, "Phalanx Formation, around me!" The men respond, forming a tight wall around him. "I want three Earthbenders behind me, one on my left and right, and my last two in front of me. My four Waterbenders go on my sides, and the Firebender goes in front. Braniti, you are at my right hand!"

When the benders are arraigned, Zastitnik smirks. "Lets make a platform boys!" Together the Earthbenders raise a mound of earth large enough to hold them, but light enough for the three in back to push it easily. When the platform was ready Zastitnik gave the order. "To the sea! We must deliver the Avatar to Colonel Poder! Against that goal, our lives mean nothing! Do you understand!"

As one the men cry out, "SIR, YES, SIR!" And with that the three Earthbenders in the rear started bending, sending the earth platform downhill.

**The Armada**

On one of the transports of the Armada a figure rises from his slumber. He raises his head from its resting place, and gazes in the direction of Kyoshi. Something had awoken him, but he could not find the source of the …

Suddenly a loud cry of pain reaches his ears. He cringes, bending low to the deck. A low growl escapes his throat as the scream attacks his very core. His apprentice hears his distress, and drops what he is doing on the other side of the ship. But before the apprentice can make it to his master, the screaming stops.

Rising again, the master roars. **/The Avatar is in danger!/** Then he is gone. A minute later the apprentice appears, only to find his master gone. Confused, he runs to the bridge, to contact Colonel Poder…

**Kyoshi Harbor, a little time later**

As Zastitnik's group makes its way down to the harbor their numbers drop. Some men are killed by encounters with San soldiers. Others are injured, and decided to make a last stand to allow the others to continue on. From the Abbey to the harbor was a thirty minute sprint, and by the time Zastitnik reached the bay, only Braniti was left. As the water laps around their knees, the two breathe a sigh of relief. They had made it.

"Damn you two!" Kyoshi snarls, tears of rage flowing down her cheeks. "Why did you do this to me! I am a soldier of Kalban! I don't care if I am the Avatar! It is my duty to stay behind and fight with my comrades! Damn you! Damn you…" At this last damnation, her rage breaks, and only tears flow from her face. "I, I should be with them…" She can already feel the carnage as the Sans army fights to capture the Abbey. She can feel the lives of her comrades and friends vanish into the darkness.

The words that she speaks brake her brother's heart. He had never wanted his little sister to be a soldier. He had wanted to send her to live in safety in Algar-Kalban. But she was stubborn, and she had literally fused herself to the earth until he had promised that he would make her a soldier. Things might have been different had their parents been there, but they had been killed in the first war, shortly after Kyoshi had been born. By the Spirit World, Anidus, Braniti had tried to do good by Kyoshi. He had tried.

Seeing that Braniti is at the end of his rope, Zastitnik answers Kyoshi. "You are a ten year old girl, Kyoshi. Your place is not with those men and women at the Abbey. You have your whole life ahead of you. You deserve a chance to live, to grow, to love. You shouldn't have to fight for your very life. The fact that you, and thousands of other children, have had to fight is a stain to the Kalb's souls that will be a long time in removing. Add in the fact that you are the Avatar, and the situation you were in becomes intolerable. Kyoshi, do you know what you could do when you become a fully realized Avatar?" Kyoshi stops crying, her tears spent, and listens to Zastitnik. Seeing that she is listening, Zastitnik pours passion into his next words, knowing that this is a critical moment for the young girl.

"How many people are their in this world? A billion? Two? No one knows. But of all those, it was you, and you alone that was chosen to be the Avatar. It is a once in a lifetime chance. Once you become a fully realized Avatar you will be the most versatile warrior in the world." In Kyoshi's eyes Zastitnik can see a war waging. On one side there is the disgust and rage at being the Avatar, which took her away from her comrades during their last stand. On the other side is a growing interest in being the Avatar, especially at the prospect of the power.

"You will command the four elements. There will, of course, be others who are stronger in their element, since they will have devoted all of their time to mastering it while you will have to concentrate on mastering four elements. But I shudder when I think of the combination of attacks you can unleash. For example, you can use Airbending to draw oxygen around your opponent, then launch a small fireball at them. The heavy oxygen will increase the fireball's heat, engulfing you opponent in flame. If you have exceptional control you could even cause your opponent to spontaneously combust if you draw pure oxygen into their lungs then ignite a flame inside them."

Braniti, having gotten over his despair at what his sister had experienced, jumps in. "Kyoshi, you should also imagine what you will be able to do to the Earth King when you are a fully realized Avatar."

The look that crosses Kyoshi's face both pleases and frightens the two men. They were pleased that she seemed to forget her rage at being the Avatar, and they were frightened because not even on their faces had there even been a face as ruthless and bloodthirsty as was Kyoshi's. "Justice," Kyoshi murmurs, "must be served. No matter the cost, no matter the consequences, no one is above the law. Not the army, not the politicians, not the Earth King, not even the Avatar. The Law is absolute."

As Kyoshi murmurs this, her mind goes back to a time, six years in the past, where she and her brother were walking past a fruit stand in the city. The week before, the Kalban Army had received a devastating defeat in the west, and millions of tons of supplies had been captured by the Un. As such, food in Kyoshi City was scarce. Kyoshi, only four, saw a juicy apple. Her mouth watering, she waited until both her brother and the shop keeper had turned away before she grabbed it. Placing it in her pocket, she had been about to leave with her brother when Braniti gave her a knowing look and held out his hand. Knowing she was caught, Kyoshi had given the apple back to her brother who then gave it to the shopkeeper.

The man, an immigrant from the Fire Nation, noticed the leanness of Kyoshi, and wanted to take pity on the child. Braniti had refused. He told the immigrant that Kyoshi had stolen, and that she had to be punished. Braniti left it up to the shopkeeper to determine the punishment. After thinking for a minute, the shopkeeper said that Kyoshi could have the apple (Kyoshi's eyes brightened in excitement at this), but that she had to pay three times what the apple was worth, and she would receive five stern paddles to her rear end.

Kyoshi had then tried to plead with her brother to show some mercy, but Braniti's heart was hardened to her request. Seeing that she could get away with it, Kyoshi paid the shopkeeper, though she had to borrow money from her brother to meet the new price. Afterwards she received her five paddles and she and her brother left. As they walked home, Kyoshi glared at the apple, as if it was the one who caused her such trouble. Braniti noticed this, and then explained to Kyoshi about justice, and the Law. He told her that that apple was the man's property, and about how he had to work hard for those apples so he could sell them. Braniti went on to explain in detail about Justice and how all people where held to one standard, one supreme law. Braniti told her that this law had been crafted after the Demonic Wars, and that it was the duty of the Avatar to enforce this law. He finished the talk by saying that while there was misery and war in the world, in the end, all beings were held to the same standard, and that true Justice would always be meted out.

This talk had a profound influence on Kyoshi. From then on she obeyed the rules and laws strictly. When she broke them, she voluntarily turned herself in for punishment. And what she expected from herself, she expected of others. She told Braniti, shortly before the final San push on Kyoshi City, that when the Ethic Wars were finally over, she wanted to be judge.

Now Kyoshi sees that her dream was so limited. Now that she is the Avatar she can bring true Justice to the world, not the sick justice what was often delivered in courts. She would not care about race, nationality, or politics. If someone broke the Law, they would be punished. And the Earth Kingdom had broken the law when they invaded Sankalb-Un, as well as the Southern Water Tribe when they assisted the Sans in building the death camps. They would be punished. Kyoshi would make sure of it.

Looking up at Zastitnik, Kyoshi asks, "Please let me down. I now know that I was being childish when I wanted to stay behind. I can do more for them out here then with them." Zastitnik nods, letting Kyoshi down. When she is down on the ground, Kyoshi dusts herself off. "We need to get to the Armada. We are too exposed here on this beach."

"You have no idea how right you are." A fourth voice comments. The three Earthbenders turn, only to see a thick ice spear flying toward Kyoshi. Without thinking, Braniti slides himself into the path of the spear, taking it in his chest. As the ice tears into his chest, Braniti uses the pain to focus his power for the last time. Lashing out, he sends two columns of sand streaking toward the spot of ocean where the spear had appeared from. A figure leaps up out of the water, and attempts to evade the attack, but he is not quick enough. Braniti's right sand column hits the man's right arm at the elbow, tearing it off.

With his killer maimed, Braniti sinks to the ground. He turns his head to look at Kyoshi, his baby sister. Her eyes are wide, a scream locked in her throat. Braniti smiles at her, and as he falls gives her one last piece of advise. "True Justice can only be delivered without hate." And with that said Braniti dies. His body flops down on the beach, the wound he took for Kyoshi lets his blood seep out off his body, darkening the nearby water a deep, crimson red.

The two survivors of the Kyoshi rescue squad stare in horror at the dead body. One, Kyoshi, sinks to the ground as her mind dissolves into a madden current of emotions. Zastitnik, on the other hand, explodes with fury. "I will kill you, you Southern Dog!" He roars, using his Earthbending to launch himself up into the air, while drawing sand from the beach to form a sword. As he descends, Zastitnik swings the sword over his head, preparing to use it to cut the Waterbender in two. Curiously, his opponent does not attempt to flee. He merely raises his hand. Zastitnik prepares to shield himself when his body tenses. "What?" He cries out in outrage and horror as his muscles no long obey his commands. Losing control, the sword he had formed dissolves, and Zastitnik hits the ocean face first. He bounces once and, fortunately, rolls over with his face skyward. It is only then that he realizes what is transpiring.

"You, you are a Bloodbender!" He cries out in amazed horror.

The man nods, then uses his superior Waterbending to make himself a crude prosthetic. He uses his freezing abilities to give the new water arm strength, and he flexes it, much to the astonishment of Zastitnik.

"There is no way you could possibly…" Zastitnik starts when he realizes a horrible truth. "The moon!" Casting his gaze up, Zastitnik now sees the full moon.

The Waterbender nods. "Yes. The full moon enhances the powers of Waterbenders. And it gives special powers to men such as myself. I am, without exaggeration, the most powerful Waterbender alive." The man holds up his water arm to underscore his words. "Now, I will kill you. Your hearts will make a fine addition to my collection."

At this Kyoshi looks up, a haunted look covering her face. "Hearts?"

The Waterbenders nods, slowly making his way to her. "Yes, hearts. I am Jean, the Cardio Horrificus. It is a pleasure to take your heart, Avatar." There is an evil gleam in his eyes as he speaks the title.

"How do you know?"

Jean smirks, and taps his water arm. "Sound carries a lot farther and clearer in water then in air. I was laying a trap for the Armada when I heard you and your party reach the beach. Imagine my surprise when I learned that you are the Avatar. But I guess it doesn't matter. You will die today, and someone from the Fire Nation will be the new Avatar. By the time they are old enough to exercise their duties, I will be dead, and will escape prosecution by you bleeding heart Accordists." Jean grimaces in disgust at the nickname of those who signed and believed in the Omashu Accords, a set of rules that were supposed to limit the amount of violence perpetrated in war. _'What is the point of that?'_ Jean thinks, _'Wars are supposed to be total in their brutality. Anything less is simply a waste of time.'_

"Get away from me." Kyoshi's voice is low, but there is a steeliness in it that was not there a minute ago. Jean decides to ignore it. Some people scream and blubber when faced with death. Others face it with determination and a quiet sort of dignity. Jean hates those people. He prefers his victims to be scared out of their minds when he cuts their hearts from their bodies.

Chuckling, Jean increases his pace. "That is not how this works sweetheart. You see, I come to you, then I cut you open, and take your little Kalb heart out. But don't worry. I will give your heart a special place in my trophy room. Yours will stand apart from all the other Kalb girls."

Hearing this, Zastitnik redoubles his efforts to get free. "You sick demented freak! Let me go and fight me like a man! Kyoshi is just a child, she does not deserve this!"

Jean stops, and turns to the still captive sergeant. "It is not a matter of deserving it. All of us are dead from the moment we are born. It is only a question of How. No one can escape the ice of the Void. It will claim all who live, encasing them in its icy clutches. The only choice in the matter that we have is the choosing of the How. My How certainly won't be here, or at the hands of you Algarve loving Kalbs." An expression of pure hatred crosses Jean's face at the mention of the Fire Nation's second, and lesser known, name. Shrugging off his hate, Jean turns back to Kyoshi, and begins to walk when he realizes something is wrong. He looks down at his prosthesis, and realizes that the Ice is melting. Mentally chastising himself for being distracted, Jean sends a wave of energy through the water/ice arm to bring it back under his control. Jean is astonished when his efforts do not yield fruit, but only further degenerate his arm. Suddenly, Jean feels an icy lump in the back of his mind. Looking up, he gazes into the hot white eyes of Kyoshi. Only, these aren't Kyoshi's natural eyes. They are the eyes of the Avatar.

In the unearthly voice of the Avatar, the one which has no mercy or grace in it, Kyoshi proclaims, **"You are wrong Jean, the Cardio Horrificus. This is your Where, now is the When, and I will show you your HOW!"** Reaching out with her right hand, Kyoshi makes a fist, and all the blood in Jean's body freezes in place.

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Sorry for the slight delay. Recently I took on the responsibility of cleaning up the beachfront of our house, and let me tell you, the sun will seep the very spirit from your body if you stay out there long enough. Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It ended a bit sooner then I thought it would, but I will save Kyoshi tearing Jean apart for next chapter.

**Reply to Reviewers**

**Shadowfox Snowblitz: I hope this chapter clears it up for you. Ages I – IV will be covered in Riding the Current, with Book II coving the last part of Age IV and Book III will cover Age V. If you have any other questions let me know and if I can I will answer them. **

**doctor anthony: I am glad you enjoyed it. The next chapter will feature Kyoshi in the Avatar State, though it will be a bit different. And sure, I would love to see a preview of the new Ka Chein story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OCs!**


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